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35-397: In the early 1980s, CBA commissioner Jim Drucker was aiming to expand the league by adding new teams: one of the cities he was most interested in, mainly for geographical reasons, was Casper. In March 1982 the new CBA team was founded: the owners announced the name "Wyoming Wildcatters" on March 17, 1982, and appointed Jeff Gordon as the general manager. Five other expansion franchises joined

70-554: A double-double with 20.0 points and 11.5 rebounds), and former NBA player Larry Kenon tried to make a comeback after 1 year of inactivity; he only played 7 games for the Wildcatters, averaging 3.6 points per game. Again the Wildcatters experienced considerable success, and won the Western Division title with a .500 record (24-24). However, despite good performances in the playoffs by Boot Bond and Rick Lamb, they lost in

105-408: A franchise-record 1,241 points during the 1985–86 season, but the team performance worsened significantly, and the team finished with a .438 record (21-27), failing to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In June 1986 Cazzie Russell was appointed as the new head coach, after Klucas' contract was not renewed. The Wildcatters acquired guard Aubrey Sherrod , one of the draftees in

140-613: A new coach, focusing on Wisconsin Flyers coach Bill Klucas , who had already declared that he was going to leave the team. Klucas was officially appointed as the Wildcatters' new coach, and started the preseason training in November the roster was heavily changed for the new season, and many players who had built the team success in the previous years left the team. Among the few who remained were Boot Bond, Michael Jackson and forward Sam Mosley, who only played 1 game. Forward John Drew scored

175-425: A point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates. This typically involves setting up plays on the court, getting the ball to the teammate in the best position to score and controlling the tempo of the game. Generally, a point guard should always look out for teammates and have the ability to pass well. A point guard should know when and how to instigate a fast break and initiate

210-657: Is Jewish. His father, Norm Drucker , was a New York City public school teacher and principal, and then a long-time referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA). Drucker grew up in East Meadow in Long Island, New York . He attended SUNY Buffalo , obtaining a bachelor's degree in political science and communication, and then a law degree from Duke Law School . He next taught at

245-452: Is crucial because of their leadership obligations. Announcers often refer to the point guard as a "coach on the floor" or a "floor general." These nicknames were particularly true in the past, as several point guards, such as Lenny Wilkens , served their teams as player-coaches. This practice is rare now, as most coaches specialize in their role. Some point guards have great leeway in the offense though they are still extensions of their coach on

280-492: The 1985 NBA draft who had played for the Kansas City Sizzlers during the previous season, forward Juden Smith, a UTEP standout who was a 3rd round pick in the 1986 NBA draft , Brad Wright and Perry Young . Despite the addition of these players, the team did not improve and finished with the same record of the previous season, again missing the playoffs, with the last place in the Western Division. In 1987

315-511: The NBA , point guards generally range from 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) to 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) whereas in the WNBA , point guards are usually 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) or shorter. Having above-average size (height, muscle) is considered advantageous, although size is secondary to situational awareness, speed, quickness and ball-handling skills. At 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)

350-670: The Temple University School of Law. He is married to Fran Drucker and now lives in Plymouth Meeting , Pennsylvania. Drucker was commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), a precursor to the NBA G League , from 1978 to 1986; while in the position, he acquired additional coverage by offering the first-ever million dollar half-court shot . He was ESPN 's on-camera legal analyst from 1989-1994. He

385-431: The point , is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player on the court. Point guards are expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time. Above all, the point guard must understand and accept their coach's game plan; in this way,

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420-599: The 1982–83 included Earl Belcher, Roylin "Boot" Bond, Reggie Hannah, Angelo Hill, David Magley, Anthony Martin, Tony Martin, Anthony Roberts, Mike Schultz, Tyrone Shoulders, Jim Smith, Rocky Smith and Charles Thompson. The Wildcatters played their first game on December 3, 1982 at the Yellowstone METRA in Billings, Montana against the Billings Volcanos , winning the game 137-123. On December 7, 1982

455-825: The CBA for the season: the Albany Patroons, the Detroit Spirits , the Ohio Mixers , the Reno Bighorns, and the Wisconsin Flyers . The team started to search for a head coach, and after 3 months of search they hired Jack Schalow , an NBA scout who had worked as a college coach at Morehead State and Seattle . In the month of November 1982 the Wildcatters held pre-season free agent camps to select new players for their roster. The final roster for

490-770: The MVP award at the All-Star game, which saw the Wildcatters playing against the CBA All-Stars in Casper. By 1984–85 the Wildcatters had created ties with three colleges ( Brigham Young , Utah and Wyoming ) and were associated with two NBA teams, the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle SuperSonics . The team acquired forwards Sam Mosley and Rick Lamb, who were two of the best players in the roster (Mosley averaged

525-408: The all time NBA record for assists. Another major evaluation factor is the assist-to- turnover ratio, which reflects the decision-making skills of the player. Given the evolved nature of basketball in the modern day, a first-rate point guard is also required to have a reasonably effective jump shot . The point guard is positioned on the perimeter of the play to have the best view of the action, which

560-408: The ball, as this type of controlling style of play is necessary to maintain the tempo of a game. Scoring point guards typically look to score first, thus preventing teammates from getting the ball and excluding them from the offense. Even so, combo guards still require above-average passing skills, but not as much as "pure" point guards (in the traditional sense). A defensive point guard is someone who

595-399: The basket in a half-court set is also very valuable and considered by some to be a must for a successful offense. After ball-handling, the most important areas of the game for a point guard are passing and scoring. As the primary decision-maker for a team, a point guard's passing ability determines how well a point guard can put their decision into play. It is one thing to be able to recognize

630-512: The basket that include being able to utilize the drop step, spin move and fade-away jump shot. In recent years, the sport's shift from a fundamental style of play to a more athletic, scoring-oriented game resulted in the proliferation of so-called combo guards at the point guard position. More explosive and athletic point guards focus on scoring instead of play-making, forgoing assists, ball movement and often defense for higher scoring numbers. Young players who are relatively short are now developing

665-426: The best assists average with 4.7. The 1983–84 season was one of the most successful for the franchise: the addition of guard Del Beshore was pivotal for the team's improvement, as he contributed with 15.7 points, 8.8 assists and a league-best 3.2 steals per game ; Anthony Roberts led the team in scoring with a 25.2 average, and newly acquired Dave Johnson recorded a team best 8.0 rebounds per game. After finishing in

700-469: The division semifinals against Wisconsin. Del Beshore continued his leadership at the point guard position and led the league in assists, averaging 10.0 per game. For the second season in a row a Wildcatters player was appointed the All-Star game MVP: this time it was Rick Lamb who received the award. Coach Schalow left the team after the end of the 1984–85 season, and in June the franchise started looking for

735-480: The floor and must display good leadership skills. Along with leadership and general basketball acumen, ball-handling is an important skill for a point guard. Generally speaking, the point guard is often the player in possession of the ball and is responsible for maintaining its possession. Point guards must be able to maintain possession of the ball in crowded spaces and be able to advance it quickly. A point guard with enough ball-handling skill and quickness to drive to

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770-400: The franchise was in financial trouble. Despite the issues off the court, the team played well and won several games in the beginning of the season, but the financial issues were too severe and forced team owner John O'Donnell to leave his position on March 1, 1988: the club was managed by the CBA until the end of the season. The team lost 20 of the last 23 games played, but managed to qualify for

805-587: The league MVP twice. Other NBA point guards with wins include Bob Cousy , Oscar Robertson , Allen Iverson , Derrick Rose , and Russell Westbrook . Since 1969, Johnson and Curry are the only point guards to win the NBA MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP awards in their careers. Notable point guards of the WNBA include five-time champion Sue Bird , her Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi (the only two basketball players of either gender to earn five Olympic gold medals for basketball ) and Courtney Vandersloot . In

840-604: The more deliberate sets. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders, with situational awareness of the shot clock and game clock times, the score, the number of remaining timeouts for both teams and more. Magic Johnson won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) three times in his career, the most for a point guard in NBA history. Stephen Curry and Steve Nash have each been named

875-482: The player that is in a tactically advantageous position. Still, it is another thing entirely to be able to deliver the ball to that player. For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. However, a good jump shot and the ability to score off a drive to the basket are still valuable skills. Point guards often use their scoring ability to augment their effectiveness as decision-makers and playmakers. In addition to

910-624: The playoffs: they defeated the La Crosse Catbirds in 7 games in the Western Division semifinals, and won the division finals against the Rockford Lightning 4 games to 2 after a 4th-overtime 137-134 game 6 win in Rockford. The Wildcatters thus reached the CBA finals, where again they had to face the Albany Patroons. The team was leading the series 3-2, but lost both games 6 (102-81) and the decisive game 7 (105-96), and lost

945-405: The position can be compared to the position of quarterback in gridiron football . They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. Their primary job is to facilitate scoring opportunities for their team, or sometimes for themselves. Lee Rose has described

980-416: The scoring aspects of their skill sets, whereas previously, these players would find it difficult to enter the NBA without true point guard skills. These combo point guards can surprise defenses. Instead of passing after bringing up the ball, they quickly drive to the basket or step back for an outside shot. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. A point guard often controls the offense and who gets

1015-533: The shortest player in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues played 889 games in a 14-year career as a point guard. After the opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down the court to begin an offensive play. Passing skills, ball handling and court vision are crucial. Speed is important; a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving themselves room to work. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. John Stockton holds

1050-624: The team played their first home game against the Montana Golden Nuggets . The Wildcatters had a good first season, and finished at the second place in the Western Division with a .500 record (22-22), reaching the division finals against the Montana Golden Nuggets: they lost the series 3-1. Charles Thompson was the team leading scorer with a 25.9 points per game average, while Mike Schultz was the top rebounder with 9.3 rebounds per game. Guard Anthony Martin recorded

1085-527: The teams alternating wins: the Wildcatters won the second game 128-126; Albany won the third 120-111; and again the Wildcatters put the series 2-2 with a 128-112 win. The final game saw the Patroons winning 119-109 and winning the CBA title. Willie "Hutch" Jones averaged 20.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in postseason play, while Beshore recorded 9.8 assists per game. The season also saw the first Wildcatters player to receive an individual award: Anthony Roberts won

Wyoming Wildcatters - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-684: The third place in the Western Division, the Wildcatters won the division semifinals against the defending champions, the Detroit Spirits (3-1), and also won the division finals against the Wisconsin Flyers (3-1), thus reaching the CBA finals. The Wildcatters had home advantage, playing the first game at the Casper Events Center, but they lost to the Albany Patroons 129-121. The series went back and forth, with

1155-580: The title to the Patroons. The franchise ceased operations after that final game. Jim Drucker Jim Drucker (born 1952 or 1953 (age 71–72)) is a former commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association , former commissioner of the Arena Football League , and founder and owner of NewKadia.com, the world's largest online-only comic-book seller. Drucker was born in Brooklyn , New York, to Ukrainian parents and

1190-403: The traditional role of the point guard, modern teams have found new ways to utilize the position. Notably, several modern point guards have used a successful style of post-play, a tactic usually practiced by much larger centers and forwards. Exploiting the fact that the opposing point guard is often an undersized player with limited strength, several modern point guards have developed games close to

1225-411: Was commissioner of the Arena Football League (AFL) for three seasons, starting in 1994, during which time, the league expanded from 11 to 18 teams. In 1999, with his own collection of 850 comic books, Drucker founded NewKadia.com, the world's largest online-only comic-book seller. In 2017, it sold 250,000 comic books. Point guard The point guard ( PG ), also called the one or

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